Chelsea manager Graham Potter praised his side for qualifying for the Champions League last-16 with a game to spare having lost their opener to Dinamo Zagreb.
The Blues booked their ticket for the knockout stages with a 2-1 away win over Salzburg, after impressive strikes from Mateo Kovacic and Kai Havertz in each half, either side of Junior Adamu's goal.
Chelsea had lost their opening game of the group stage, 1-0 at Dinamo Zagreb, leading to Thomas Tuchel's dismissal, but under Potter have bounced back with 10 points from four games, including strong away wins at Milan and Salzburg, securing top spot in Group E.
"Very [satisfied]. It’s not easy to win here as you can see from the record they have and the quality of the team," Potter told reporters.
"We had to play well and I thought we did. We created some good chances in the first half and were unlucky not to go more than 1-0 up.
"Then one action, with the quality at this level, and it’s 1-1. I thought our response was really good then, so I am delighted to go through, delighted with the performance of the players. I thought they were fantastic tonight.
"To go through with a game to spare is brilliant considering where we started the competition."
Havertz's 64th-minute winner was a spectacular left-foot strike that cannoned in off the crossbar.
The goal was the German's first this season in the Champions League, and third in all competitions. It was also Havertz's first goal away from Stamford Bridge for the Blues since April.
"His quality is there; he’s an incredibly talented player," Potter said. "He’s been nearly there and obviously, scoring a goal like that is bound to help.
"I wouldn’t be able to score a goal like that to be fair, I can only imagine. It’s a fantastic strike and an indication of the quality he has, so I’m really pleased for him."
Potter brushed off concerns about his side's wastefulness in front of goal, having had 15 shots, including 11 on target, while he hinted they may rotate their squad for their final group game against Dinamo having already qualified.
The Blues take on Potter's former club Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday, followed by Dinamo (November 2), Arsenal in the Premier League (November 6) and Manchester City in the EFL Cup (November 9) in quick succession.
"We're at home at Stamford Bridge [against Dinamo] and we'll try our very best," he said. "We want to win every game we play, that is the mentality we have to have.
"But clearly, we have a game at the weekend and another game the weekend after, so maybe we can rotate a little bit. But we will try our best."
Keith Watson keen to highlight Ross County’s form as they fight for survival
Keith Watson is adamant relegation-threatened Ross County can take heart from their own recent form as they bid to topple free-scoring Championship promotion hopefuls Partick Thistle in this week’s Premiership play-off.
The Staggies must defeat the Jags over two legs to survive in the top flight for a fifth consecutive season after defeat in their final match at Kilmarnock on Sunday consigned them to 11th place.
Much has been made of the fact Partick have scored an impressive 16 goals in their four play-off matches so far against Queen’s Park and Ayr.
But Watson was keen to point out that his own side have been in good enough form to move off the foot of the Premiership table over the past month despite being four points adrift and seemingly doomed to bottom spot with five games to play.
“They are obviously on a decent run, because they have had to win games to get to the final,” the County captain said when asked whether Partick’s momentum might give them an edge.
“But going into the split we were four points adrift at the bottom and we just fell short on the last day, so I don’t think we are on poor form by any means.
“We have been picking up results recently, it’s not as if we have not been playing very well.
“The boys know what’s at stake. We need to try and keep as upbeat as we can, we can’t dwell on (finishing second bottom) too much.
“Anything can happen, and we want to make sure we stay in this league.
Although he admits Sunday’s 3-1 defeat at Killie was “a sore one”, Watson believes the form and “fight” his team have shown recently will stand them in good stead for the play-offs, with the first leg at Firhill this Thursday.
“Going into the split we were four points adrift, and maybe a lot of people wrote us off a wee bit,” said the Staggies defender.
“But we just keep on fighting. We don’t know when we are down and we don’t know when we are beaten.
“We showed that against St Johnstone when we were 2-0 down and we came back (to draw 3-3 last Wednesday).
“There is plenty fight and effort in the team. We’ve just got to make sure we take that into the last two games and show the same effort and fight we have shown to get back involved again.
“We’ve got a few days to prepare and do our work on Partick. The boys are disappointed, but we are not down. We have got two games to stay in the league.
“We will be going into that first leg on Thursday really looking forward to it. We’ve got two games to save our season, and we will be giving it everything we’ve got.”
Kyle Vassell believes Kilmarnock are ready to make their presence felt at the “right end of the table” next season after they secured their cinch Premiership survival on the last day of a challenging first season back in the top flight.
The 30-year-old has loved his time at Killie since initially joining in January on a short-term deal, so much so that he recently agreed to a two-year contract extension keeping him at Rugby Park until 2025.
Vassell is hugely excited about the future after notching his sixth goal of the campaign in Sunday’s campaign-ending 3-1 win over relegation rivals Ross County in front of a buoyant home support.
“I have two more years of this and hopefully we can get better as a club and get up the other end of the league next season,” said the striker.
“I knew we had what it takes to stay up, but you never know in football. They say it averages out over the season and the teams that are down there and the ones up the top deserve to be where they are.
“But you get games like St Johnstone, where we had a goal disallowed for something I’d never seen before then we had a penalty not given.
“I genuinely believe we never had much luck for a few months, but we got through it and made sure we didn’t rely on luck and that our performances were there.
“We got a great win last Wednesday at Dundee United and another one against Ross County.”
Asked if he expected Kilmarnock to kick on under Derek McInnes next term, Vassell said: “Absolutely. That’s why I’m staying, because I believe in what he’s trying to build. I want to be part of what he’s building.
“You see the fans, they were amazing against Ross County, from the start. The second half was probably one of the most enjoyable, even after their goal, because the fans were singing everyone’s name and the atmosphere was so good for us as players.
“If we can get as many of them in the stadium next season we will kick on. A day like that gives you a glimpse of what can happen but it’s on us. We have to play well to make them want to come. We have to get them in the stand.
“If we take that on board in pre-season and into the beginning of the season and make sure we’re at the right end of the table, I’m sure even more will come because the fans are there.”
Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag says Harry Maguire has decision to make on his future
Erik ten Hag has hinted that Harry Maguire may leave Manchester United this summer if the defender decides he is not happy with a lack of playing time.
The club captain played only 16 Premier League games this season and has been culpable of a number of high-profile errors, most recently in last month’s Europa League exit to Sevilla.
Ten Hag has consistently praised the influence of the 30-year-old – who joined in 2018 from Leicester for £80million, a world-record fee for a defender, and is under contract until 2025 – around Old Trafford, even when he has endured long spells out of the team.
When fit, Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane have been the preferred central-defensive partnership in the former Ajax boss’s first campaign, with Luke Shaw sometimes filling in, as the team racked up 17 top-flight clean sheets – the most of any side in the division.
Now the manager has made the strongest suggestion yet that Maguire’s time at United could be coming to an end.
“No-one would be happy with this situation,” Ten Hag said in an interview with The Times. “He is not as well. He trains always on best levels, so with 100 per cent effort.
“So he handles that situation well and he’s in that manner and in his captaincy he’s important for the squad.
“But he has high competition there (at centre-back) with Raphael Varane, who’s fantastic.”
He added: “Let’s say I’m happy he’s here and when we needed him he did his job. But it’s also a decision he has to make.”
Ten Hag also said that David De Gea, who himself has made costly mistakes including in Seville and in the recent defeat to West Ham, will remain at the club, though may not be guaranteed a place in the team.
The team finished with the third best defensive record in the Premier League with 43 goals conceded, bettered only by Newcastle and champions Manchester City. De Gea was ever-present and collected the Golden Glove for the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets.
Asked if the 32-year-old would still be at United next season, Ten Hag replied: “Yes, but I will not say he will always be my number one because in a club like United there must be competition in all positions.”
United face City at Wembley on Saturday in the first all-Manchester FA Cup final, looking to foil their city rivals’ bid the match the Treble won by Sir Alex Ferguson’s team in 1999.
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